RAHWAY, NJ – American Repertory Ballet will present Signature Duets: Dances of Daring and Devotion at Union County Performing Arts Center’s Hamilton Stage on Friday, March 21 and Saturday, March 22, 2014 at 7:00pm. The program will feature Dreams Interrupted, a world premiere by Trinette Singleton, set to music by Pierre Bohemond; Fantasy Baroque by ARB’s Resident Choreographer Mary Barton; and Gerald Arpino’s Confetti.

Trinette Singleton is a former premier dancer of the Joffrey Ballet and choreographer of ARB repertory favorite Capriccios, which the company premiered in 2012. For her new piece, Singleton was inspired by Pierre Bohemond’s piece of music “Dreams Interrupted” and by the place between dreams and reality. “Everyone dreams,” she says, “and some dreams are nightmares. There is often only a fine line between reality and dreams.” She expresses these ideas through what she describes as a “movement style based in my years with Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino,” the co-founders of The Joffrey Ballet.

ARB Resident Choreographer Mary Barton comes from a similar background, also having worked with Joffrey and Arpino during her years as a dancer with The Joffrey Ballet. In her review of the world premiere of Barton’s Fantasy Baroque, Marina Kennedy of Broadway World characterized the piece as “light and lovely” and “fresh and fanciful.” Barton’s work is known for its narrative inclinations and innovative movement combinations.

Gerald Arpino’s Confetti is a virtuoso ballet for three couples. Confetti‘s premiere was danced by The Joffrey Ballet on February 28, 1968. ARB revived the work in 2012.

About American Repertory Ballet and Princeton Ballet School

American Repertory Ballet’s mission is to bring the joy, beauty, artistry and discipline of classical and contemporary dance to New Jersey and nationwide audiences and to dance students through artistic and educational programs. The organization comprises: American Repertory Ballet professional company, the preeminent classical and contemporary ballet company in the state; Princeton Ballet School, one of the largest and most respected non-profit dance schools in the nation; and ARB’s Access & Enrichment initiatives, including the long-running and acclaimed DANCE POWER program. The company is a classical and contemporary ballet company committed to presenting ballets from the 19th and 20th centuries alongside new and existing works by choreographers from today. The performing company, founded in 1963, is currently under the artistic leadership of Douglas Martin, former principal dancer with the Joffrey Ballet. The company’s rich history of repertory includes established masterpieces by distinguished American choreographers such as George Balanchine, Gerald Arpino, Alvin Ailey, Paul Taylor and Twyla Tharp; cutting edge works by choreographers such as Val Caniparoli, Kirk Peterson, Dominique Dumais, Harrison McEldowney, Amy Seiwert, Susan Shields, Melissa Barak, Patrick Corbin, Trinette Singleton, and ARB Resident Choreographer Mary Barton; and former Artistic Directors Dermot Burke, Marjorie Mussman, Septime Webre and Graham Lustig. ARB has been designated a “Major Arts Institution” by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts consistently for the past two decades, and has repeatedly been awarded a Citation of Excellence by the Council. ARB was voted the Jersey Arts People’s Choice for “Favorite Dance Company” in 2008, 2011 and 2012.

Princeton Ballet School has gained a national reputation for its excellent dance training since its founding in 1954 by Audrée Estey. Under the direction of Mary Pat Robertson, Princeton Ballet School currently serves approximately 1,200 students, starting at age three, and includes a large open enrollment division for adults. Princeton Ballet School has studios in Cranbury, New Brunswick, and Princeton and offers classes in ballet, modern dance, jazz, hip-hop, cardioballet and Pilates. Students from the school have gone on to dance in professional ballet and contemporary dance companies in the US and abroad. Graduates have danced with such diverse organizations as New York City Ballet, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Miami City Ballet, Complexions, Mark Morris Dance Company, Twyla Tharp, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Ballet West and on Broadway.

The Access & Enrichment wing of American Repertory Ballet reaches out to the community not only through its DANCE POWER program and signature On Pointe series, but also with free programming, master classes, residencies, lecture demonstrations and School Time Matinees throughout the state. In 1984, American Repertory Ballet partnered with the New Brunswick Board of Education to create DANCE POWER. Today, it’s the longest-running uninterrupted arts/community partnership in New Jersey. The legendary Gregory Hines was DANCE POWER’s Honorary Chair for 18 years before his untimely passing in 2003. In 2001, Mr. Hines endowed a scholarship at Rutgers University that earmarks annual funds for a DANCE POWER student to attend the university.